Baby, it’s cold outside.

Well, no, it isn’t now, but wait a week or so. Fortunately, there’s some hot jazz from hot places to warm up December. Take Rubim de Toledo’s gigs on December 11 and 12 at the Parker House. Canadian-born and of Brazilian descent, de Toledo is well known for his mix of jazz, Brazilian and Cuban music, and his 2006 solo debut, Charcoal and Crimson has earned accolades from a number of critics. De Toledo is no stranger to collaboration — he’s been bassist for Bomba, founded the improv-groove collective reClaim and, for the two-night stretch at Parker House, he’ll be teamed with Andy Ericson on drums and Peter Manley on guitar.

If Greece interests you more than Cuba or Brazil, you’re in luck the week before Christmas, as Pegasus Restaurant will feature the Rembetika Hipsters for a two-night gig on December 17 and 18. This won’t be your ordinary holiday celebration — originally from Greece, the now Calgary-based group offers authentic Greek rembetika songs, jazzy bouzouki pop and a mix of Mediterranean originals. Sure to heat things up a few notches, the band is often joined by belly dance troupe Studio Sublime.

If you’re looking for more immediate gratification, check out Engineered Air Theatre on Friday, December 5 for something special. Magical is a word that’s been used to describe Blues legend Bill “Watermelon Slim” Homans, who received six Blues Music Award nominations in 2007. That, by the way, is a record-tying number, since only three other blues giants have received this honour: BB King, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray. A sometime truck driver who has held jobs as diverse as forklift operator and firewood salesman, Slim has an awesome talent for the blues. His 2006 self-titled CD was ranked No. 1 in MOJO Magazine’s top blues CDs list of that year. His 2007 release, Wheel Man, debuted in the Billboard Top 10 for blues CDs. He may have gotten his stage name from raising watermelons at his home in Oklahoma, but how many watermelon farmers can you name who’ve been featured in Blues Review, House of Blues Radio Hour and on National Public Radio in the U.S.?